Frostbite
by AnInterestedThirdParty
Summary: Called to the city of Vale by a mysterious headmaster, Jaune finds himself thrust into a world he can barely comprehend. Faced with new enemies and new allies, Jaune must combat the city's dark underbelly and struggle against the cruelty of scientific progress, while attempting to understand where he and his condition fit into all this suffering.


**Hey everybody.**

**This little number is something I just wrote up for fun in my free time. I don't know if I will continue it but, hey, anything can happen these days. Tell me if you enjoy it and all that jazz.**

**Thanks, review please.**

**RWBY belongs to Roosterteeth and Monety Oum.**

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><p>Vale was quiet.<p>

A few of the streetlights were flickering and most of the windows of the small shops lining the street were dark. The road itself was a empty.

Two men stumbled out of a bar, one of the few establishments still open at this ungodly hour, and watched me as I passed. One of them pointed a half-finished beer in my direction and spat out a garbled sentence, much to the amusement of his equally intoxicated friend.

I gave them a slight wave, but they seemed to have forgotten me. Their attention was much more focused on the two bottles they were still nursing.

Vale was quiet and I was mad.

I had neglected to pack any clothing with substantial mass. My trip out of Mistral had been less than pleasant and I hadn't planned for the temperature shift between the two kingdoms. Mistral was moderate throughout the year while Vale saw winters akin to miniature ice ages.

All I had on was my sweatshirt and jeans, and they were doing little to keep out the cold. I would have sold my soul for a pair of gloves.

I rounded the corner next to a small bookstore and the street opened up into a wide courtyard. The area must have once been a beautiful park but large, metal spires had been erected at its borders. Their dead neon signs made the scenery look much more akin to wildlife reserve.

The home I was looking for was close. The directions I had been given pointed me to a street near the west side of the park and I hurried towards it. My destination stood like Shangri-La at the end of the cobblestone path. The cold was my test of fortitude.

The house was small and surprisingly rustic. It, and the ones around it, stood in stark contrast with the glass walls of the condominiums that covered the street. I pulled out the small slip of paper and checked the address to the one on the buildings entrance, they matched. The windows were dark but a thin trail of smoke leaked out of the chimney.

A few specks of snow landed on my nose and I hurried to the front porch. The door had a large, metal knocker on it and I slammed it against the wood three times. The lights in the windows came to life and I could see a figure coming towards the door through the window.

Her skin was nearly as pale as her hair but her eyes burned with a hidden warmth I had only seen in a few others. Her pose was regal and she kept her mouth pressed in a thin line , betraying very little emotion. She opened the door slowly and made no move to come out.

"Mr. Arc," she said. She pushed back her glasses and held the door open for me. Her room was small and rustic but a fire raged in the hearth and I immediately gravitated to it as if it were an old friend. The chill seeped out of my body in an instant and I freed my hands from my pockets.

I turned from the warm light and saw that the woman had seated herself at a small dining table and I followed suit.

She watched me sit over the rim of her glasses while tapping the table with one of her fingers. Her robe was disjoined, and I realized I must have woken her up.

"Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Arc. I must admit, I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival," she said. The woman's eyes remained cold but her hands were pressed against the top of the table. She was leaning forward considerably.

"Well, I hope I live up to your expectations," I said. She nodded and studied me. I wavered slightly under her gaze and she seemed to find some comfort in that. Standing suddenly, she walked towards the cabinets above the small sink in the corner.

"I don't believe I know your name," I said. She opened up a cabinet and pulled out two cups.

"It's Goodwitch." She shook one of the mugs lightly. "Coffee or tea?" She asked.

"Tea, thank you."

I watched her craft our drinks quietly. The wind outside picked up and waved of snow began to assault the window. I thanked my creator that I was indoors.

"Sugar?" She asked.

"Yes please," I laughed, "as much as you're willing to give. I have a bit of a sweet tooth."

The woman dropped a handful of cubes in my drink and hummed to herself lightly. "What's life if we don't give in to our vices every now and then?" She said. She put the drink in front of me and I watched as the stack of cubes dissolved.

"Now," she sat back down at the table and stirred her tea with a spoon, "shall we get down to business?" I nodded and she produced a small stack of papers from somewhere at her feet. She fingered through them slowly and put the top two off to the side.

"To begin," she placed a document in front of me and tapped the top with the page with her pen, "verify the information here. It may seem a little unnecessary but our headmaster is a stickler for formalities."

"Are you not the headmaster then?" I asked. The document had the basic information concerning my identity. I signed my name at the bottom.

"No, Professor Ozpin is both the headmaster and the head of the board of directors. He wanted to meet you himself, but he's indisposed at the moment. Sadly, the weather doesn't agree with him." I glanced at the blizzard outside and suddenly found myself liking this mysterious man. His taste in weather was impeccable.

"Now," she put the paper away and laced her fingers together, "you do understand what service Beacon Academy performs, correct?"

I leaned back, putting my body as close to the fire as I dared and nodded. "The slaying of Grimm. Everyone in the kingdoms knows who you are and what you do," I said.

"True. We have the honor of training warriors to fight on the behalf of humanity. If the school had not been created, I couldn't imagine the state of the world today."

"If you don't mind me saying, why exactly am I here? I am thankful for your academy's assistance in Mistral but I can't seem to understand your reasoning."

Goodwitch took a small sip of tea before adding another sugar cube. The spoon scrapping the bottom of the cup put my nerves on edge.

"There are a lot more than just Hunters at Beacon Academy. Our school is always looking for the best and brightest this world has to offer. The kingdom of Vale has dedicated itself to that pursuit. Even the title kingdom is just a formality. The board of directors are the leaders here and through their work this city has become a center of educational and scientific pursuit, with Beacon as its guiding light."

The speech felt robotic and planned, as if she had said it a thousand times to a thousand people sitting as this very table.

"That still doesn't explain why you want me here," I said.

"Because you are special, Mr. Arc. Beacon academy and this city are filled with people like you."

"I'm not special," I said.

"Mr. Arc," one of her eyebrows was raised and her head was cocked to the side, "you and I both know just how special you are. Besides," she stood up and grabbed my cup. It still had most of my tea but I took this as a sign that it was almost time for me to leave, "your alternative is whatever trouble you left for yourself back in Mistral. I heard you were in quite the pickle."

I smiled and scratched the back of my head. "I often find myself in incriminating circumstances."

Goodwitch hummed and gestured towards the door. "I hate to send you back out into the snow, but I need to get some sleep tonight."

I sighed and gave the flames a loving glance. The trip towards the door would have been filled with tears if not for the judgmental gaze of the home's owner.

"Remember, Mr. Arc," Goodwitch said opening the door, "your first class begins tomorrow. Check with your administrator as soon as you arrive on campus and they will get you situated."

I hefted my bag over one shoulder and stepped out into the storm. The wind tousled my hair and worked its way under my clothes, making my shiver.

"I hope you make good use of these next four years Mr. Arc, and, above all, tread carefully." She shut the door but not before giving me a small smile.

I stood on the small porch for a few moments, sighing as the frost crept into my bones. The street was still dark but the air was filled with the foggy hum of the lights of Beacon's spires.

Goodwitch turned off her lights and presumably went to bed. Her warning had been foreboding albeit a tad unnecessary.

Handling danger was something you get good at and this wasn't my first rodeo.

I kicked a pile of snow, adjusted my pack, and went to find a place to sleep.

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><p><strong>So, there you have it. Tell me what you think. <strong>

**If any of you are curious, I was thinking of taking this story down the path of something similar to "A Certain Scientific Railgun." I really like all the dark, twisted aspects of that show, and I wanted to re-purpose some of them in a RWBY story. Note: if I do continue, not all of the characters will be students at Beacon, most will be introduced throughout the story. **

**Also, the Jaune in this story is not like the normal character. There is something about him (I'm not telling what) that makes him very special.**

**Thanks!**

**AITP**


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